The present invention concerns a roof which can be retracted or withdrawn into the rear boot of a vehicle.
Such a retractable roof makes it possible in particular to convert a vehicle of the two-seater coupxc3xa9or four-seater coupxc3xa9or saloon type into a vehicle of the cabriolet type.
In the case of four-seater coupxc3xa9s or saloons, the roof has a relatively long length, so that the retractable roof is composed of three elements, each of which has a length compatible with the dimensions of the vehicle boot.
Thus a retractable roof for a vehicle is known, comprising a front roof element, an intermediate roof element and a rear roof element, these three elements being able to move between a position in which they cover the vehicle cabin and a position in which they are superimposed substantially horizontally in the rear boot of the vehicle.
The aim of the present invention is to afford improvements to the known means, in order to optimally control and guide the movement of the roof elements between their closure position and their position of storage in the boot.
According to the invention, the retractable roof is characterised in that the movement of the rear element towards the boot is controlled by at least one arm articulated on the chassis of the vehicle and on the rear element, in that the rear element is connected to the Intermediate element by a lever articulated close to the front edge of the rear element and articulated on the intermediate element, the latter being connected to the chassis by a second arm articulated on the chassis and on the intermediate element, in that the front of the intermediate element is connected to the front element by two articulated levers forming a deformable quadrilateral, the said second arm articulated on the chassis being connected to one of the two levers forming a deformable quadrilateral by a link articulated on the said second arm and on the said lever, and in that connection means are provided between the first arm and the second arm or between the first arm and one of the levers connecting the rear element to the intermediate element or between the latter lever and a fixed articulation point on the chassis. Other particularities and advantages of the invention will also emerge from the following description.